While "About Face!!" is something a drill sergeant routinely barks at a line of trembling recruits, it also seems to be the mantra for Daimler-Chrysler's product planners in recent years. Daring reversals have seen the chiseled Chrysler 300/Dodge Magnum twins replace the overfed Concorde and Intrepid; and of course there are the big-rig-inspired Ram pickups, whose design rattled the full-size light-truck segment like a Jake brake on a steep downgrade, good buddy.

Now it's the Neon's turn, and its replacement, the front-drive 2007 Dodge Caliber, is something altogether different. For starters, it's a two-box design la Toyota Matrix that's based on an all-new platform that will also underpin the upcoming Jeep Compass and Patriot.

Next, it is the first Daimler­Chrysler design to offer the so-called "World" aluminum-block twincam 16-valve 4-cylinder engines, available in 1.8-, 2.0- and 2.4-liter displacements (making 148, 158 and 172 bhp, respectively), which will eventually filter through to other DC vehicles.

Third, it's a bit tougher-looking than the Neon (you might remember the "Hi!" ad campaign, which no doubt turned off buyers who like their cars, uh, less sociable), an amalgam of Ram truck, Audi TT and Chevy Malibu Maxx styling cues. If it were an animal, I'd go with armadillo.

Last, it can be had with an especially well-sorted push-belt Jatco CVT (a 5-speed manual is the stand-ard box) and electromagnetically controlled all-wheel drive, which drives only the front wheels until slip is detected.

Naturally, we gravitated toward the sportiest R/T variant, with the 2.4 engine, the CVT, all-wheel drive, 18-in. alloys shod with P215/55R-18 all-season tires and slightly stiffer spring and shock rates. On the twisty roads north of Scottsdale, Arizona, the R/T proved entertaining if not inspirational. Despite a seating position 4.0 in. higher than the Neon's, body roll seems well checked, steering is an agreeable compromise of feel and isolation, and handling is tidy and benign, with lots of warning before terminal understeer sets up camp. With its faraway windshield and thick A-pillars, there's some of the set-back feeling of driving a Volkswagen New Beetle.

Punch it, and there's reasonable torque down low (the peak is 165 lb.-ft. at 4400 rpm) but with in excess of 3300 lb. to move, the power-to-weight is in line with some of your feistier minivans. (See Ampersand for the upcoming 300-bhp SRT4 version.) The CVT responds in a natural-feeling way except when you push past a final throttle detent, where revs stay at about 6000 while the vehicle catches up, for best acceleration. In AutoStick mode, there are six "gears," or preprogrammed settings for the pulleys that simulate a conventional gearbox; they're accessed almost instantaneously with sideways tips from a fat-knobbed lever that sprouts from the lower part of the dash's center stack.

The interior feels spacious for the most part, but taller drivers will find the sunroof-equipped car tight on head room. Gauges are black markings on white faces, the 4-spoke wheel has a nice thick rim, and the optional Sport Package combines body-color seat inserts, center stack and instrument bezels. Speaking of seats, the fronts are reasonably comfortable, while the rear 60/40-split bench is as flat and featureless as west Texas. On SXT and R/T models, it does recline by 12 degrees, which makes it more livable.

Want gadgets? The Caliber's got 'em, with an MP3 jack in the center console and a flip-up holder conveniently sized for an iPod; a rechargeable flashlight that plugs into the rear headliner; 115-volt power outlet (standard on the SXT and R/T); a "Chill Zone" feature that cools the glovebox/Evian-storage area with a/c; and a "MusicGate Power" speaker enclosure, part of the optional Boston Acoustics premium audio system, that swings down from the open hatch so as to impose your musical taste on a much broader area.

So the Caliber is unconventional, but risk has paid off recently in both Chrysler and Dodge camps. And it's hard to argue with the price, as a base SE at $13,985 is $410 less than the last base Neon that rolled off the line. The top-line R/T version starts at $19,985 with the mid-level SXT splitting the difference at $15,985.